but i don't know what you can do about it in this environment. you know, the congress has been in gridlock for almost two years now. and i think that their efforts now to get a budget is sort of a last-ditch response to the public's really disgust with how awful washington is functioning and i think it's also a realization on the part of republicans that they are taking the biggest hit here. >> well, e.j., is there a way to change what does seem to be over the last couple of years an inevitable process of constant friction, of waiting until the last minute, waiting until the guillotine is hanging over your neck? >> well, i think the biggest problem has been in the house where a group of very, very conservative members, depending on how you want to count them from 40 to 80 to 100 have been able to sort of stop a lot of things and that you haven't been able to bring bills like immigration to the floor that would have a majority, if you could just allow people to vote their consciences. i think this budget deal is a way for the non-hard right republ